Yes, I'm going there...

Admittedly, I've never been a big fan of the pop tart but from what I've heard so far of her new album this may be somewhat of a guilty pleasure. It's been given a bit of a hammering in the UK tabloids but the 'proper' music critics (ie mags and online) seem to really dig it.

The three tracks I heard were actually pretty cool without all that ott vocal gymnastics she usually does.

Here's two reviews. One positive, one negative.

Mansized
The Guardian

I don't like her records and actually don't care if she has a voice or not but she does seem to want to become more artistic and inventive with her music. But she will most-likely never stumble upon innovative grounds. So I will not be buying her CD!Can You Read This?

I knew she'd sell brilliantly. The kids love just how "deep" and "mature" this bullshit makes them feel.

Christina rocks and she's hott!
Aint no other man is such a good song.
She's really defined a sound here.
She's awesome woo

I really really like "Ain't No Other Man" but everything else sounded trite and/or boring.

I've been truly conflicted on this, and this provides a good (decent enough, its the fucking INTERNET) venue to vent my POV.

I want to take Xtina seriously. I really do. I want to like her more as a persona and as an entertainer AND AS AN ARTIST than I do now. I place emphasis on "ARTIST" because that is how, as of the release of this record, she wants to be taken now. As an artist.

She's a vocalist (a great one), an entertainer (an okay one, but still sort of novice-- for expert level, see: Mariah, Cher), a diva (barely classifiable as one, see: Ibid) but she is not, NOT an artist. Not yet, anyway.

For Xtina to put herself in that category just further baits prejudiced, rockist critics to slag her record. Its bad enough that its a double record from someone who is ostensibly still a pop star (a dare: name the last time a pop star released any sort of double record like this and succeeded) and just now coming into adulthood. She's an easy target, and its almost as if she wants certain people to diss her and certain people to like her.

Why? Because she does what she wants now. She, without self-consciousness, chose total has been Linda Perry to produce "Stripped" and they made KILLER songs together! (There is no doubt in my mind that "Beautiful" will go down as one of the best songs, the best anthems, of this decade.) It's pretty much single-handedly revived Perry's career. Now Xtina has DJ Premier on some of "Back to Basics" which, if "Ain't No Other Man" is any indication, is another great move in bringing up semi-obscure '90s talent to today's mainstream.

First conclusion: She does her thing and I respect that. A lot.

So is "Back to Basics" some insensitive, purely aesthetic retread of '40s and '50s soul/jazz singers (Ella, Billie, Nina, ecetera)? Mostly, yes. But is Xtina earnest as she steals this steez? The rockist inside me, at best, says "Maaaybe..." The popist says "How isn't she?" and "Why wouldn't she be?"

"Why be cynical?" is the question. What's the point? Why be so cynical about what's "real" that what is as real as life passes us right under our noses? If Xtina's honest that she likes this music and she's passionate about it and its not a label ploy, then why shouldn't we accept her as at least semi-"artistic."

Is she a full-on "artiste" yet? No. I put the a word in quotes not to qualify Xtina's status or credibility, but because even true artists qualify that word with quotes as well.

You see? Music cynicism and snobbery has come full circle to the point where slow-evolving popular music and futurist underground music are starting to sync up!! It's surreal. And in a world of surreality, anything goes. Xtina should, too.


I should mention at this point I haven't heard "Back to Basics," but I've been meaning to. I'm not an apologist for teen pop or top 40 and I am not a "popist" or "poptomist." But I do have common sense, and I don't discriminate due to what I assume to be true. Not anymore, anyway.

Interesting post, Yay.

Two minor nitpicks.

1. Linda Perry was no longer a has-been by the time Aguilera got to her. She'd already become a sought-after songwriter after she worked on Pink's second album.

2. While we can safely call "Ain't No Other Man" Premo's biggest mainstream hit, I don't think he's any less "obscure" to mainstream audiences now than he was before.

quote:

Originally posted by Everyoneanindividual:
I don't like her records and actually don't care if she has a voice or not but she does seem to want to become more artistic and inventive with her music. But she will most-likely never stumble upon innovative grounds.

That's what happens when you write with a songwriting team and have almost no input into the music behind you. Gawd bless pop music. Hooray capitalism!

This album is an easy listen but it's not memorable and not the sort of album you would have in your stereo all the time.

Stripped was her best album and i think alot of ppl would agree.